Tell me theorys on bunting....

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Jun 8, 2016
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Stealing third can be done very successfully. If you have the right runner on 2 and a rh batter in the box that can fake bunt, you win that battle a lot.
The question is, to do it with X amount of outs, what does "a lot" constitute to make it worth it? Is a 50% chance enough? 30%? I am not stealing third with 0 or 2 outs unless I am pretty confident that the kid is going to be safe...
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
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I didn’t post anything about mlb but can anyone deny that it is at least mildly interesting that the run expectancy for a runner on 2 with one out is so similar between all college levels of softball and D1 baseball? (I’m assuming that someone actually looked at the charts.)

After all, the games really do have differences. Softball has players that specialize in this one aspect of the game. Softball players actually practice bunting regularly.

Im really not convinced that there would be much difference in expectancies at decent level 16/18u softball.

Of course without stats, it’s all folklore, legend and what that dude Bob said behind the backstop.
Haaa lol what that dude Bob said...
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
The question is, to do it with X amount of outs, what does "a lot" constitute to make it worth it? Is a 50% chance enough? 30%? I am not stealing third with 0 or 2 outs unless I am pretty confident that the kid is going to be safe...
DD#2 was on a team that worked on leaving early and the theatrics of fake bunt steal. In her case, she almost never got out unless she was called for leaving early or on some really rare occasions the batter was called for interference.

We played almost all USA rules though. Not sure but I think USSSA rules about rh hitter in the box are slightly different.

This is a really fun thing to do btw.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
The old adage (promoted Bob Backstop) of don't make the first or third out at third is backed by the numbers (at least for the populations represented by the numbers)...
 
Last edited:
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I have been avoiding this thread because this is me whining. It is up to 21 pages now so why not. I have only read a handful of posts.

When I coached everyone knew how to bunt. Made it a point everyone bunted at least once during the season. BB and SB. Not a fan of bunting but wanted them to have it in their pocket if they needed it the future.

DD was a good bunter, in hind site I am sorry I Ever taught her to bunt. Every Coach she has had has her bunt way to much. DD can hit dang it she does not need to bunt all the time.

Favorite bunt story is in MS. DD playing 2nd. Opposing Team, who's HC was a jerk which I will not get into, kept bunting because no one on our Team was covering 1st. It was emberasing.

MS ball was DD's time and I kept out the way. One of the 2 times I called her over and asked what was going on. We changed how we covering bunts and 1st baseperson was not at practice.
 
Oct 9, 2018
396
63
Texas
While on this bunting topic, It seems those on gamechanger have a really hard time figuring out if it was a hit. The options of a bunt being called an error the defense or a fielders choice (even if the choice did not result in an out) could easily skew batting averages thus not showing the value of a bunt.
 
Oct 11, 2018
42
18
Atlanta
This is definitely an interesting point (effect of how GameChanger presents choices on stats). Very obvious example is how many players, especially at younger ages, aren’t credited with steals in first and third situations because defensive indifference is such an easy option to see and sounds so smart.
Similarly, scorekeepers trying to keep up in less common situations can’t find the choice they’d prefer so they pick something more convenient that at least puts the right players in the right places with the score and number of outs correct. Seems possible that GC choices are ordered based on baseball statistical likelihood and as a result when used for softball there is a bias that tilts things toward similar outcomes…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
To quote an esteemed NFL football coach, GameChanger stats are for losers

(ok maybe that wasn't an exact quote)
 

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